Last week a school board work group discussed best and worst case scenarios in response to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget, including layoffs and cutting programs such as art, physical education and music. Based on last year’s budget, the Haines Borough School District was expecting to receive $2.2 million in state funding for 2020, but under Dunleavy’s proposal it […]
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Dunleavy’s proposed cut could hurt school programs
Buying new equipment for the high school’s automotive vocational education classroom could be axed if Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to cut $20 million in education funding moves forward. The legislature appropriated the additional education funding last year, and the Haines Borough School District is set to receive $44,272 of the $20 million. Expecting those funds, the school board approved […]
Posted inNews, School Board
School board discusses new active shooter response plan
Some school board members wanted to learn more about the school district’s “Run. Hide. Fight.” active-shooter response plan proposal. At Tuesday’s board meeting, Principal Rene Martin outlined the basics of the philosophy, which replaces the outdated “lockdown” response. “Hide might be the right decision,” Martin said. “That’s traditionally what a lockdown is. It’s hunker down. It’s hide […]
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2018 required residents to face difficult truths
The surfacing of what many residents described as a decades-long open secret shook the town this year: allegations from multiple men of sexual abuse by former school official Karl Ward. Craig Loomis, the first man to speak publicly, was contacted by several others who had similar experiences after he implored those affected to reach out […]
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Scott raises concern about Maidy representing borough on KINY radio
“One of the members of our assembly is now a person who communicates with a Juneau radio station and it may not be the right thing to do,” assembly member Stephanie Scott said at the Nov. 6 meeting. “People that speak on behalf of the Haines Borough are usually the Mayor or the manager,” she said. Assembly member Sean Maidy said […]
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Maidy wins assembly seat by two votes
Final count of the outstanding 41 election ballots Tuesday evening placed Sean Maidy as the second assembly seat victor, just two votes ahead of opponent Paul Rogers at 414-412. Maidy, originally behind Rogers by three votes in an unofficial counting last week, credits his victory to supporters showing up to the polls that hadn’t before. […]
Posted inNews, Obituaries
Former resident wills $600K to school
Haines students received a boon this week after the school board accepted a donation of more than half a million dollars. Vera Smith, a longtime Haines resident who worked as a public health nurse during the 1950s, died two years ago in her home state of Virginia. In her will, she left $622,000 to establish the William […]
Posted inHaines Borough, News
Four candidates in assembly race
Voters will choose between William Prisciandaro, Sean Maidy, Paul Rogers and Barbara Mulford for two open borough assembly seats in October. Mulford, owner of Takshanuk Mountain Trail, submitted her paperwork for office on Monday, the last day to file. She said friends and family have been encouraging her to run for several years. “I don’t […]
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School to offer alternate meals for unpaid school lunch accounts
The Haines Borough School District is implementing a new policy this school year to reduce the number of unpaid balances for student meals. Principal Rene Martin said unpaid meals have become a problem, with some students’ lunch bills in the red by up to $800 in one year. Superintendent Roy Getchell said the administration wrote the policy […]
Posted inNews, School Board
Swinton retires from school board
A 16-year member of the Haines Borough school board has decided to move on, adding a third seat to the October municipal election ballot. Sarah Swinton has been a board member since the borough was consolidated and the school board first elected in 2002. She will leave her seat a year before her term ends. “My last kid just graduated […]